Missing Ennis mother's body found in creek

ENNIS, Texas - The body of an Ennis mother missing for more than two weeks was found on Monday.

Emily Wade, 38, was last seen on Jan. 5. Her mother said she went to a co-worker’s house and never returned.

Ennis police said a volunteer search party found the body of a woman who matched Emily’s description on Monday. Her body was in a creek bed that isn’t too far away from where she was last seen.

Police said that remote area of south Ennis was flooded on the night Wade disappeared. They confirmed on Tuesday that it was Emily’s body and have ruled her death an accident. The Dallas County Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine an exact cause of death.

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Jared Jones, Emily’s ex-boyfriend and the father of their 7-year-old daughter, says police notified the family that the body found along Chambers Creek was Emily’s body. Confirmation is still pending with the medical examiner.

Wade disappeared after visiting a friend in Ennis the evening of January 5. Driving at night in an unfamiliar area and after recent rain, investigators believe she took a wrong turn and accidentally drove into high water, was swept away and drowned. Police believe her car is still submerged in the creek.

“It was an accident. Honestly, maybe a bit of comfort,” Jones said. “I guess she didn’t suffer. Nobody had taken her. She wasn’t going through pain. Had to tell my daughter her mommy is gone is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Jones says the kindness and comfort from the community and strangers alike was overwhelming. He’s especially thankful for the Louisiana-based Cajun Coast Search and Rescue team, volunteers who worked tirelessly for days searching for Emily.

“The people here in Ennis I mean just so many. Thanks and appreciation for everything they did. Saw a community come together. You don’t see a lot of times. So many people, so many prayers and wishes,” he said. “We talked to them in the mornings. We talked to them in the evenings. Talked to them throughout the day. They cared. And you could tell they cared.”

“It’s not the outcome we ever want. Unfortunately, it’s one we have to face on a regular basis. It affects our team members pretty hard. Especially this case, we have been out with the family so many times and had dinner with the family and you just get that emotional attachment,” said Toney Wade, a member of the Cajun Coast Search and Rescue team who is not related to the family.

Wade’s car still has not been found. The volunteers will continue searching for it to hopefully get some answers about what happened.

“We wanna believe that she probably tried to cross the bridge,” Toney said. “Once we find the car we’ll know for sure.”

"The Ennis Police Department would like to share our appreciation for all of the volunteers and assisting agencies that have spent countless hours over the past two weeks searching for Emily Wade," police said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Emily Wade."

Detectives have interviewed Wade’s co-worker, mother and the father of her 7-year-old child who lives in Ennis. No one had any answers and police cleared them as suspects.

Emily’s brother said Emily’s body will be sent to Kentucky where she will be buried.